Sailing

[Chockswahay]

We still miss this ................. (has a new owner now) .......Laurent Giles one off design

 

[nicholsong]

CJS Roy designed Macwesters, about 8 models I think, from 22ft to 36 ft one, a Macwester Pelagian, even had twin 42hp engines!!

I was a CPO mechanician/artificer in the electrical branch of the RN and also did a 18 month stint as a yacht skipper at Joint Services Sailing Centre in Gosport, initially skippering Merlin an old 57 ft wooden "windfall" class sloop then on to more modern "tupperware" boats first Contessa 32's and then Nicholson 55's (great boats)

I remember the Nich 55s of the Joint Services when I was sailing and racing on 'Evaine' 12 metre Class in the Solent including Cowes week(We won the Britannia Cup - thought I would just mention it)

I also looked at Nich 35s before I bought the W33.

Geoff

 

[nicholsong]

We still miss this ................. (has a new owner now) .......Laurent Giles one off design

View attachment 298121

That looks beautiful, with sails well set.

A real ocean-going vessel that. Could be in English Harbour in 28 days.

Why the Dutch ensign - is that the new owner?

Geoff

 

[Chockswahay]

That looks beautiful, with sails well set.

A real ocean-going vessel that. Could be in English Harbour in 28 days.

Why the Dutch ensign - is that the new owner?

Geoff

Thanks Geoff, she is indeed a beautiful vessel. Long fin and Skeg hung rudder and cutter rigged too (not visible in that photo). Yes the people we sold her too are Dutch and currently on a RTW trip.

The boat has classic looks but actually the Hull is pure epoxy with end grain balsa core. In full Ocean trim she weighed around 15 tons.

We had a few adventures in her including a F11 in the Irish Sea But she always kept us safe

We fancy a Vancouver 28 or maybe even a 34 now

 

[airwave]

My last boat was a Trawler yacht, but at 44” was too big behind the camper lol

Personally Eddie , at 44" , i would have carried it inside the camper . Lot let hassle .



By the way , just seen the picture , very nice mate .

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[nicholsong]

It gives me a good feeling that as well as MHs there are people on here who appreciate proper sea-going sailing yachts.

It would be interesting to analyse the types of MHs those of you have responded have.

I am guessing that they are well designed and constructed, but who knows? Of course, I appreciate that finances affect decisions.

[Just a little aside. I was thinking about a Contest 34 and I phoned Dick Van der Zaal, the designer, and queeried the single lower shrouds for ocean suitability. His very diplomatic, but informative, reply was 'That was not in the specification'. Told me enough.]

I think there are more 'good guys' around boats than MHs - peoples lives are at more risk.

Geoff

 

[pappajohn]

Only one sailing boat amongst the lot of you!!!

I find the mast tends to hit motorway bridges.

 

[nicholsong]

I find the mast tends to hit motorway bridges.

I took my mast under many canal bridges from Le Havre to Port St Louis(Rhone estuary) and they are lower.

 

[robnchris]

I remember chatting with a few sailor mates about the Westerly 33, the general opinion was pound for pound it was possible the best boat to own in the Med, safe on top and massive down below.

In our time we have owned a couple of Westerly's beautifully built yachts one wonder's how they went bust, our last boat was a Catalina 42 Mk11 which was a fantastic bit of kit for the Med, we miss her so very much but would never buy another boat, far too much time needed for maintenance, much easier and less stress to hire one and when you have finished with it you just walk away.

 

[Chockswahay]

We lived on our yacht for 3 years...... this time we would like to spend most of the summer on it. One of our ‘problems’ is that we can not resist seeing what is over the horizon...... so we end up sailing a long way sometimes!

We feel happier in a heavy traditional sort of vessel that will take a Force 8/9 in its stride.

Offshore means a certain type for us

However........ I do like the sound of a bilge keel Konsort for messing around in estuary and tidal areas

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[Chockswahay]

It would be interesting to analyse the types of MHs those of you have responded have.

Geoff

Well funny you should say that.....

I think that as far as marine and aviation go I am probably a bit of a stick in the mud.... I have always preferred flying Turbo Props over Jets, sailing heavy cruisers instead of racy types..... yet when it comes to MH’s..... I prefer small and modern (like our HymerCar)

Yup, I’m a bit weird I think

 

[funflair]

I am not much of a sailor but when I was a lad in the scouts we hired a 65 foot converter Baltic trader "Solvig" with Captain and first mate and we did the rest, good experience, last year we paid a few £ to sail on a "tall ship" for a couple of hours and that was great even Mrs funfair enjoyed it and she doesn't like water.

Other than that I have Kayaked a bit on the sea but the furthest I have been is just over 100miles in under 29 hours, Zeebrugge to Felixstowe apparently you can now get a ferry

Martin

 

[EuroTrotters]

Do many people use their mohos to transport boats about?
We're out in ours tonight as my daughter has a race tomorrow. It's not that far from home, but great not to have to mess about driving here in the morning
View attachment 296636

I wish I knew how to sail

 

[robnchris]

We lived on our yacht for 3 years...... this time we would like to spend most of the summer on it. One of our ‘problems’ is that we can not resist seeing what is over the horizon...... so we end up sailing a long way sometimes!

We feel happier in a heavy traditional sort of vessel that will take a Force 8/9 in its stride.

Offshore means a certain type for us

However........ I do like the sound of a bilge keel Konsort for messing around in estuary and tidal areas

Never been one for a bilge keeler we did own a deep fin Konsort which pointed very well, a shallow fin wing keel is our preference.
We used to spend our summers aboard the Catalina visiting one Greek island after another which in itself sounds idyllic, we were pretty much self sufficient with our water maker, 7kva Genny and huge storage but I am more used to passage making and tootling around those white sanded often deserted beaches drove me insane.

So we decided to sell up and try a motorhome which we use pretty much like the boat, head off here and there as the mood takes us.

 

[Offagain]

My last boat was a Trawler yacht, but at 44” was too big behind the camper lol

I think our 7.5m Bailey would struggle a bit with our 14m Bavaria! However we've been toying with the idea of towing the 5m RIB somewhere in the summer when we get back from a couple of mobths of sailing the aforementioned Bavaria around Greece.
@nicholsong, sorry, I just realised I never did get back to you.

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[Offagain]

Used to use the van to tow the Osprey around the country for various championships etc. Beats sleeping on the clubhouse floor or in a tent in the dinghy park

We raced a mk4 osprey at our local club (Tenby) until a couple of yrs ago. We sold it last year as we realised we wouldn't be racing any more as we were spending more time in Greece on the yacht. It paid for new standing rigging!
We've hosted a few osprey events at the club so if you raced at Tenby before last year we've probably met.
We have several friends in TSc who do the osprey circuit. We never travelled. Too much hassle!

 

[DuxDeluxe]

We raced a mk4 osprey at our local club (Tenby) until a couple of yrs ago. We sold it last year as we realised we wouldn't be racing any more as we were spending more time in Greece on the yacht. It paid for new standing rigging!
We've hosted a few osprey events at the club so if you raced at Tenby before last year we've probably met.
We have several friends in TSc who do the osprey circuit. We never travelled. Too much hassle!

I raced Tenby about 10 years ago in 1329 “Fish for Tea” (Mk4) broke mast and ripped the main. Boat had to be recovered so thanks guys for doing a great job. Rescue boat people were marvellous; they thought that I had drowned as was fished out of the sea coughing and vomiting seawater all over the place. Later bought 1350 “Contains Nuts” and raced for a few more years but had to give up due to several spine operations. Absolutely love Ospreys.... 1329 at mounts bay, just recovering from a really bad teabagging of my poor crew

 

[Offagain]

I raced Tenby about 10 years ago in 1329 “Fish for Tea” (Mk4) broke mast and ripped the main. Boat had to be recovered so thanks guys for doing a great job. Rescue boat people were marvellous; they thought that I had drowned as was fished out of the sea coughing and vomiting seawater all over the place. Later bought 1350 “Contains Nuts” and raced for a few more years but had to give up due to several spine operations. Absolutely love Ospreys.... 1329 at mounts bay, just recovering from a really bad teabagging of my poor crew

View attachment 298498

Did you by any chance lose a duck during that race?!
We were doing safety and my husband recovered one in a similar condition to yours which had lost a decoy duck.

 

[DuxDeluxe]

Did you by any chance lose a duck during that race?!
We were doing safety and my husband recovered one in a similar condition to yours which had lost a decoy duck.

Yes!! That was my duck on a piece of string we used to tow before and after the race for a laugh. Drifted off when the boat inverted. Was more upset about losing the duck than breaking the expensive carbon mast as we had it for years........

P.S. a very big thanks to your husband for fishing me out of the water. I was thrown out of the boat when we went in rather violently and was swept away by the tide. Thankfully my young crew listened to my advice to stay with the boat

 

[Offagain]

Yes!! That was my duck on a piece of string we used to tow before and after the race for a laugh. Drifted off when the boat inverted. Was more upset about losing the duck than breaking the expensive carbon mast as we had it for years........

P.S. a very big thanks to your husband for fishing me out of the water. I was thrown out of the boat when we went in rather violently and was swept away by the tide. Thankfully my young crew listened to my advice to stay with the boat

Paul sailed it back in as you were incapacitated. One of the other safety crews took care of you and your crew.
That was an eventful race, it was very windy and there were lots of breakages on various dinghies. One helm sustained a broken arm.
Ah those were the days!

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[DuxDeluxe]

Paul sailed it back in as you were incapacitated. One of the other safety crews took care of you and your crew.
That was an eventful race, it was very windy and there were lots of breakages on various dinghies. One helm sustained a broken arm.
Ah those were the days!

The Helm with the arm was Nick Jones, sadly now deceased. He broke a mast as well as a couple of others. We got two other gybes spot on, caught by a wave on the last one. The seas were so big I had a real job keeping my crew on the trapeze on the reaches. Told him to high wire it and not try to look good but keep out of the water.

Big thanks to Paul for recovering the boat. Found out the hard way the following day just how sharp carbon fibre shards are.......

 

[nicholsong]

Well funny you should say that.....

I think that as far as marine and aviation go I am probably a bit of a stick in the mud.... I have always preferred flying Turbo Props over Jets, sailing heavy cruisers instead of racy types..... yet when it comes to MH’s..... I prefer small and modern (like our HymerCar)

Yup, I’m a bit weird I think

Not weird at all - or we both are.

I enjoyed flying the tuboprop Viscounts, but it is a bit horses for courses. T/Props are OK for up to 2 hour sectors but I would not want to do Manchester-Larnaca in one(5 hours in a jet), even if it had the range - the pub would be shut when you got back. Jets are OK when one can establish a stable approach a good way out from the runway, but give me a much more responsive T/Prop for tight situations, like Sumburgh where one has to do a continuous turn from the 26 VOR let-down onto Runway 33, trying not to be blown into the hill by a strong westerly wind. I would even prefer a T/Prop for some of the Greek Islands like Corfu.

I agree with you about heavier boats - they stay put where you position them and not 'twitch' around, and stay upright. Mine had 3 tons of iron 3m long to keep it that way. And could trim it to sail hands-free.

"Good Sailing Gentlemen"

Geoff

 

[Neil Bedwin]

Not quite sailing but......teaching the wife to drive on Loch Lomond. ps. It's a 360 video so you can drag the view around and up and down!



A bit sunnier but bumpier - off Lismore near Oban.